Reminiscence
by glisten11
Summary: Your past will never change, no matter how much you deny it. But what happens when your memories refuse to be forgotten? This is Jericho's story.
1. Five Days

_Hey! First of all, this will be the only long author note in this entire story, I promise. Second, the reason these chapters are so short is because for me, chaptering is merely a partition for breaking up my stories, just to make it neater :). Third, I probably upload 1 or 2 chapters every few days. Last, enjoy! Oh, and** every** reviewer will receive a personal reply and will have their name credited when this story is done. Thanks! _

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><p>It had been five days.<p>

That is, five days since the Teen Titans (namely Starfire) had invited him to join them at the Tower, rather than returning to his "most lonely dwelling".

It had also been five days since the takedown. The takedown of the Brotherhood of Evil.

Jericho could remember that fateful event as clear as the back of his hand. Blood had poured, bones had been broken, and new allies had been gained; including himself.

He remembered his powers; his ability to possess beings he made eye contact with. He remembered using it to fight for the first time in his life. The thrill was exhilarating.

He never thought he would end up where he was now, though.

He also never thought five days could be so...dull.

Not to complain, but Jericho had the impression that being a guardian of Jump City would be a tad more eventful. Sure, the mentioned battle was incredulous, but he didn't think being a hero would involve eating questionable vegetable burgers and playing Mega Monkeys 4.

As he contemplated on his situation, his emerald eyes wandered onto his new teammates.

In the kitchen, Cyborg and Beast Boy were arguing over dinner, as they did every night...and day.

"I'm _TELLING _you, Cy! Organic alternatives are heaps better for you!"

The first Titan Jericho met was Beast Boy.

He was the one who had presented him with his communicator. Straight off the bat, he could tell Beast Boy was a...strange character. When he reached Jericho on his mountain, he had blathered on about some evil organization in between large gasps and wheezes before passing out. After the takedown, it only took him two days to figure out Jericho was mute. Even then, he would sometimes confuse him with being deaf; shouting in his ear so loud he really thought he_ would _go deaf. He was always cracking, rather corny, jokes, seemingly oblivious to the fact that no one else was laughing. Beast Boy's appearance surprised him the most. It was interesting to wonder how Beast Boy developed his pointed ears and odd skin shade. Genetic mutation? Radioactivity? The possibilities would overload Jericho's head. But that was beside the point.

"If by 'organic alternative' you mean tofu, the answer is always no, BB."

Then there was Cyborg- the terrifying part-robot. At least, that was Jericho's first impression of him. Truthfully, he knew full well Cyborg wasn't a monster, but he couldn't help feeling a little...petrified when he stomped into the room. Cyborg didn't pay a lot of attention to him, but Jericho was perfectly fine with that.

"Friends, friends! Let us not fight over this."

That was Starfire. As you know, she was the one who asked Jericho to stay with them. He initially thought "Star" was a tad eccentric and out-of-sync with the world, before realizing she was a super-strong alien from a distant planet. She was quite pretty, but he was quick to notice her orange-y skin and unnatural eyes. Though she appeared gentle and kind, Jericho witnessed an outburst from her towards a certain green-skinned person just the day before. _Note to self: don't make her mad._

"Starfire's right. You guys argue over this every day. Can't you work something out?" Robin agreed.

The masked leader intimidated Jericho ever so slightly at first sight, though he felt a strange trust in him. Robin had made an effort to explain things to Jericho, which he was grateful for. He concluded that the Boy Wonder was fierce, over competitive and oddly powerful, yet at the same time caring, dedicated and loyal. A very strange combination in Jericho's mind.

He let his eyes rest on the navy-clad figure on the couch, engrossed in a book with foreign-looking symbols on the cover.

Raven. If Jericho could describe her in one word, it would be creepy. Down-right dark, mysterious, and introvert. The fact that she could be reading your thoughts at any time unnerved Jericho, though Robin reassured him that she would ask permission first. She seemed to be very untrusting and went out of her way to steer clear of him, keeping dead silent when he was around. He wondered what this (sorceress? witch?) girl would do all day other than read, meditate, or sip foul-smelling tea.

Silently sighing, he sat himself down on the same couch, taking care to keep his distance.

As he attempted to drown out the bickering, he leaned back and rested his hands behind his head.

Truth was, Jericho was keeping one huge secret from his teammates...his friends. This secret held the almost-certain possibility of the Titans rejecting him, especially Robin, which was something he never wanted to happen. He would always do his best to put his past behind him and smile, and most days he didn't even need to think about it, but other days, it wasn't so easy to forget. Staring at the ceiling, he let his mind drift...


	2. Nostalgia

_All flashback chapters are this short._

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><p>"Mother, when is dad coming home?" the boy asked, innocently staring at the woman.<p>

"You should not worry about such things, Joey. Your turning nine in a couple of weeks! Aren't you excited?" she replied, her voice distant.

Joey sighed. That was always her answer. Well, sort of.

As far as Joey could remember, his father was never home. He had never stayed for long when his visits did come around. Mother had said he was constantly working over time, but for some reason, Joey never believed her.

He let the thought go and looked over at his teenage brother Grant.

Grant was two heads taller than Joey, and ten times more athletic. Whenever their father was home, his attention would be on Grant, and only Grant. According to him, being seven years younger than his brother was not an excuse for his lack of fitness. Until he had turned six, his father had at least attempted (in a very limited way) to harden Joey up, in between his training sessions with Grant, but now he had given up altogether. Every time he fell, expressed pain or got tired too quickly, a disappointed sigh would echo through Joey's mind.

Joey didn't blame him. He knew he was weak. He knew he was frail. But he also knew he was never meant to be a fighter.

He was skinny and fairly short for his age. Grant and his father were thick, hard and muscled. He supposed they always had been.

Noticing her son's bleak expression, she gently lifted his chin up, remarking, "Don't be so glum, Joey. What would you like for your birthday?"

In truth, all he wanted was his father's respect. It was clear he didn't have it.

"Nothing, mother," he replied, offering a small smile.

She ran a hand through his blonde hair and kissed his forehead.

Sitting down on the chair next to him, she gazed out the window for some time.

Finally, she turned to him and spoke the words that forever stayed in his mind, "Promise me you'll never change, sweetheart."

Grinning, he replied, "I promise."

Little did he know the true meaning of those words.

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><p>"Joey, Joey! Come quick!" called a voice.<p>

It was his thirteen-year-old stepsister, Rose.

"What is it? Was there an accident?" he asked, alarmed at her urgency.

"No! Dad is here!"

Joy erupted through his head.

With her silver-blonde hair whipping behind her, Rose turned and dashed out the room.

Joey quickly followed her.

"Dad!" they cried, rushing into the kitchen.

A built man stood before them. He was wearing his "work uniform": an odd, orange and black mask shielded his face, and thick armour plating covered his body.

His mother was standing across from him, her face solemn and her arms crossed. Her expression seemed to be a cross between fury, annoyance and relief. Her eyes pierced into his father's.

The two children slowly backed out the door, leaving the adults to their silent argument.

"What was that about?" whispered Joey, his eyes wide in surprise.

Rose shook her head.

As he sat down in the living room sofa, he tried to focus on just what had happened, but his young mind kept pushing the thought away.

His mother walked in, her tear-streaked face buried in her hands.

"Mother..." he began, his eyes glistening.

Her tight hug stopped his words.

"P-please ignore that, Joey. Your father and I just got into a little...quarrel. It happens. Don't worry yourself. Everything is fine" she said.

_No, mother, it's not! It was more than that! What was it?..._


	3. First Mission

_What was it?...  
><em>  
>"Hey, dude. Duuuuude? You okay?" someone asked, waving a hand in front of his face.<p>

Fazing out of his thoughts, he sat up with a startled jerk.

Beast Boy was crouched over him, a confused expression on his face.

Smiling, Jericho nodded.

"Whatever you, er...say," the shapeshifter replied, walking out.

Glancing around the room, he realized he was alone. The other five Titans had left.

Stretching his stiff limbs, he decided to retreat to privacy as well.

He stepped up the stairs, then turned into the hallway. His room was on the very end.

As he stalked past the other doors, quiet chanting, whirring, "WOOHOO! Beat my high score!", giggling, then disturbing silence were all heard.

Finally, he made it to his room.

It was still a guest bedroom, with a smooth, unmarked door. Neither he nor any of the other Titans had made an effort to personalize it a bit more. That didn't bother Jericho in the least; rooms were purely functional places, after all.

Just as the mechanical door slid open with a whoosh, a piercing alarm blazed through the Tower. Red light filled the hallway. The cluttering of fallen objects could be heard from the adjacent rooms.

_My first mission..._

The other Titans burst from their rooms and sped downstairs. Jericho followed their lead.

A detailed map of the city was displayed on the oversized TV, a single red dot was flashing.

"Titans, we've got trouble!"

"Where is the source of this trouble, Robin?"

"I think that's a storage building, near Pier 4!"

"Then what are we waiting for, dudes? Let's go!"

"No, Beast Boy, wait! We have an incoming message."

At the push of a button, the screen flashed and a familiar face fizzed into focus.

"Slade!" Robin snarled, instantly furious.

_Oh no..._

"Calm yourself, Robin. I only contact you to tell one certain friend of yours that I am coming for him," he replied, before the message faded to black.

Fresh fear and horror froze Jericho in place.

"What does he mean?" the leader growled, slamming a fist down on the control board.

"Uhh...that he's coming for one of us guys?" offered Beast Boy.

"How did you know?" Raven scoffed.

"We must figure out which one of the four males he intends to kidnap!" Starfire cried.

"What could possibly be his motive? We haven't heard from him in _weeks_!" said Cyborg.

"We have to go after him! We have to stop him in his tracks."

The argument went on. Not one of them took notice of the blonde Titan, who was staring, transfixed, at the empty screen.

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><p>"Is this the pier that is number four?" Starfire whispered.<p>

"This is it," Robin replied. "Beast Boy, is it clear?"

Reverting back to human, he reported, "All clear."

"We have to split up and search!"

"No, Cyborg. If he's coming after one of us, we have to go in groups. You, Beast Boy and Raven. Me, Starfire and Jericho."

As the team split in half and parted, Jericho tried to keep his mind blank.

_There are others he could've been talking about! I shouldn't worry..._

The three stopped at an abandoned warehouse.  
><em><br>Abandoned warehouse? How cliché..._

"We should look here first. Now we split up and search," ordered Robin, a scowl prominent on his face.

Starfire nodded and flew up. Jericho hesitated.

"Is something wrong?" asked the Boy Wonder.

Jericho shook his head and ran off, attempting to hide his worry.

_No way he could've known. No way..._

A shadow ran across the wall.

With a gasp, he froze mid-step, his head darting around for the source of the dark silhouette.

Next thing he knew, a sharp sting pierced his shoulder, then he fell to the floor...


End file.
